Photo By Tiarra N Fulgham | Logistics Specialist Seaman Lorens Rodriguez, right, assigned to the Nimitz-class...... read more read more
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From ship to shore, every Sailor has a story. Behind the most complex exercise and simplest maintenance is a Sailor whose journey led them to the adventure that is the Navy. This undertaking unites these Sailors, but their beginning is their own. Aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), as every crewmember goes about their day, they carry with them the inspirations and teachings of family and friends back home. For Logistics Specialist Seaman Lorens Rodriguez, a native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, his brother’s choice to serve as a firefighter fostered his own desire for purpose.
Reflecting on his life before the Navy, Lorens realized just how much he looked up to his older brother Ignacio Rodriguez.
“[Before I joined the Navy], I wasn’t doing much of anything with my life,” said Lorens. “So when my older brother became a firefighter that motivated me to get a start on my own life of serving others, as well.”
Seven years his elder, Ignacio Rodriguez always felt a responsibility to set the standard and help Lorens realize his potential.
“Although my brother and I are very different, we are similar,” Ignacio explains. “We had big dreams but no motivation. [We were] smart, but not dedicated, and lost because we had no direction. The fire department saved me. It gave me a different perspective on life and my dreams became attainable. I wanted the same thing for Lorens – I always wanted him to dream bigger.”
Lorens did dream bigger - much bigger. On July 17, 2017, he stepped forward, raised his right hand, and joined the Navy, shocking his family and setting in motion his future as a Sailor.
“For me it was a surprise,” explained Isobel Guzman, Lorens and Ignacio’s mother. “I felt fear because, for the first time, I’d be separated from my son. But I am very proud of the changes he has made to become responsible and the love he now has for his country.”
Lorens says his decision to serve his country derived from the actions of his brother and their close relationship.
“Me and my brother, it was just the two of us growing up,” described Lorens, thinking back to their childhood. “My dad would be so busy working, providing for us, that my brother was like a father figure to me. Everything I know starts with him. He’s a huge role model for me, so when I see the sacrifices he makes, it impacts me and motivates me.”
When the time came for Rodriguez’s boot camp graduation, Ignacio was there to see his younger brother come into his own and take his place among the armed forces.
“When I finally saw my brother with a clean shave, well groomed, standing straight and squared away, speaking properly and politely, I could not hold back my tears,” said Ignacio. “It was the proudest moment of my life and to this day my brother continues to make me proud.”
One a firefighter and the other a Sailor, the brothers keep in touch and see the parallels that connect their two worlds.
“My brother risks his life every day fighting burning buildings,” said Lorens. “He knows the danger of a fire so when I told him that everybody on the ship is a firefighter he appreciates what that means.”
Lorens is now a capable Sailor in the Navy, constantly challenging himself to meet his goals and see his dreams realized. He spends his days setting an example for the Sailors who follow him, hoping to impart the wisdom of his own experience and family.
“I feel accomplished and satisfied with myself,” said Lorens. “Because joining the Navy has not only taught me discipline but it has also given me the opportunity to see the world, and develop in so many ways. I know now, that if you want to succeed, you have to want it as much as you want to breathe. Grind every day and believe in yourself.”
Currently operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Harry S. Truman will continue to foster cooperation with regional allies and partners, strengthen regional stability, and remain vigilant, agile and dynamic.
For more information about Truman, visit www.facebook.com/USSTruman or www.navy.mil/local/cvn75/.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2018 06:43 |
| Story ID: | 298909 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 756 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Choice to Serve: A Tale of Brotherhood, by PO2 Victoria Granado, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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